Nigeria, Jan. 4 -- Nigeria commenced the implementation of its new tax laws on 1 January. The laws, among others, make taxation progressive, with the lowest earners being ineligible to pay taxes. The laws also changed the name of the Federal Inland Revenue Service to the Internal Revenue Service.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the four new laws were controversial before they were passed into law and have remained controversial even after they were passed and signed into law.

This follows allegations by a lawmaker that the laws passed by the National Assembly were different in some areas from the laws gazetted by the federal government.

Although the House of Representatives has established a committee to investigate the allegations, the law...